!Mira que luna! Look at that moon! Resources for learning English

Fernando Olivera: El rapto.- TEXT FROM THE NOVEL The goldfinch by Donna Tartt (...) One night we were in San Antonio, and I was having a bit of a melt-down, wanting my own room, you know, my dog, my own bed, and Daddy lifted me up on the fairgrounds and told me to look at the moon. When "you feel homesick", he said, just look up. Because the moon is the same wherever you go". So after he died, and I had to go to Aunt Bess -I mean, even now, in the city, when I see a full moon, it's like he's telling me not to look back or feel sad about things, that home is wherever I am. She kissed me on the nose. Or where you are, puppy. The center of my earth is you". The goldfinch Donna Tartt 4441 English edition﻿

Here are a few words and expressions in Castilian Spanish that don’t exist in English, and perhaps could be borrowed. Foreigners speakers of Spanish in Spain certainly use so of them with alarming frequency with other English speakers in Spain, as do our Spanish friends and spouses. The list does not include food terms (covered elsewhere on iberianature) and most cultural terms (architectural, historical, bullfighting terms, etc)

In some cases, a simple word doesn’t exist in English (tuerto – one-eyed man) while in others the whole concept doesn’t exist (consuegros – a child’s spouse’s parents)

More to come

compaginar: slot together” or “integrate timetables

consuegros – child’s spouse’s parents

El de la verguenza – that last tasty morsel (e.g. a biscuit) which everybody feels embarrassed about taking. I suggest from now on calling this the shameful one in English, as members of my family now do.

enchufe – beyond the simple dictionary definition of plug, enchufe means a connection, knowing somebody, being well connected, knowing the right people, that sort of thing when you want something done. So, if you have an enchufe, it might very well make it easier to get a job.

estrenar – to try out something for the first time, often in the sense of wearestrenar zapatos. A football team might also estrenar un nuevo estadio Anestreno is the first night of a film.

gestor – a kind of financial administrator, not quite an accountant, not quite a solicitor.

One word that you will hear a lot in Spain is gestor. The position is difficult to describe, simply because this agency does not exist in many countries. His main role is the interface between the public – in this case you – and the public administration. Generally, in UK you do not need any kind of interface, and when you do, it is clear that you should see a solicitor. In some other countries there will also be some person, or official in this kind of position. From here (continue reading)

homologar – compare and equate standards of

lampiño – without a beard or with little hair. Note, also inberbe, a beardless youth.

lustro – five years

manco – one-armed man

mimoso – as an adjective somebody who loves to be pampered/made a fuss of. Also a noun.

monte – in the sense of wild land (as opposed to just hill) monte does not exist in British English but equates to the Southern African English bush and the Australian outback. Echarse al monte means to take to the hills, and by extension, los del monte, the maquis fighters.

resol – Reflected sunshine off the wall, floor, etc. that some Spaniards try to avoid in summer… as in, “We can’t sit at that table” (at a terrazza) “it’s got a parasol, but there’s a lot of resol” (Michael)

sobremesa – the time spent after lunch sitting round the table and talking

When I was a child my mother and aunt used to play with me looking for the facial features of the moon and animated shapes among the stars, at the moonlight. My family used to teach us how to learn with pleasure about everything. That was their passion.

And we have been enjoying it.....since then.

Madrid Weather forecast

Tiempo en Madrid

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C2 Proficiency English

Disclaimer:This blog is private, -for sharingESLresources I use every day as a long-life learner-, non-revenue generating, non-promotional, non-advertorial.If copyright is infringed and inaccuracies found, do advise. Deletion will be immediate. Thanks a lot. The author of Look at that moon!